by Unknown
Perchance to Die
Amy Sumida
Copyright © 2013 Amy Sumida
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10:1497389682
ISBN-13: 978-1497389687
DEDICATION
For my niece and nephew, Keri and Skyler, and their lovely mother, Rene Kaji Osborne.
More Books by Amy Sumida
The Godhunter Series(in order)
Godhunter
Of Gods and Wolves
Oathbreaker
Marked by Death
Green Tea and Black Death
A Taste for Blood
The Tainted Web
Series Split:
These books can be read together or separately
Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest
Into the Void & Out of the Darkness
(Perchance to Die)
Tracing Thunder
Light as a Feather
Rain or Monkeyshine
Blood Bound
Eye of Re
Beyond the Godhunter
A Darker Element
The Twilight Court
Fairy-Struck
Pixie-Led
Raven Mocking
Other Books
The Magic of Fabric
Feeding the Lwas: A Vodou Cookbook
There's a Goddess Too
The Vampire-Werewolf Complex
Pronunciation Guide
Aillidh: Ah-lee
Aodh: Ee
Aoife: Ee-fa
Arach: Air-roc
Bearach: BEH-ruck
Carus: Care-us
Cian: Key-an
Craigor: Kraeg-or
Daoir: Daheer
Drachleen-sidhe: Druch-leen Shee
Eilidh: Ael-ee
Ellingran: El-ING-rawn
Estsanatlehi(Mrs E): Es-tan-AHT-lu-hee
Farinne-sidhe: Fare-nya Shee
Fionnuala: Finn-noo-lah
Fionnaghal: Fyoon-ghal-a
Froekn: Fro-kin
Gruach: Groo-ah
Huitzilopochtli: Weet-seal-oh-POACHED-lee
Intare: In-tar-ay
Kanaloa: Kah-nah-low-ah
Kirill: Key-reel
Leannan-sidhe: Lah-nan Shee
Meilyr: May-ler
Nephthys: Nep-th-es
Nyavirezi: Nee-yah-veer-ez-ee
Peig: Paeg
Raiseala: Rash-uh-lah
Scotaidh: SCO-tee
Shehaquim: Shah-ha-keem
Tairhail: Tah-vel
Tima: Tee-mah
Tlaloc: T-la-lock
Tsohanoai(Mr. T): So-ha-noe-ayee
Chapter One
God visits my dreams a lot.
Several gods actually. First there was Thor, then Huitzilopochtli(I call him Blue), Anubis made an appearance for awhile, Hsi Wang Mu was the only goddess to ever visit, and very recently it's been Odin, but this time was different. Because this time the god invading my dreams tried to kill me.
Don't get me wrong, lots of gods have tried to kill me. Ever since I'd discovered their little secret, all the bad ones have kinda been out for my blood but usually the death attempts come when I'm awake. Hsi Wang Mu gave me the Black Plague in a dream once but that was just a warning really, I didn't actually get the Plague until she infected me in the flesh, much later. This guy wasn't trying to warn me, he was trying to kill me.
I'd gone to bed late that night, worn out from my second New Years celebration in the Human Realm. I'd had to help my alpha lover, Trevor, find a new band to play in our club Moonshine because our usual band had chosen to play for my New Years party in the Faerie Realm instead. Time had aligned between the three realms, so New Years Eve was on the same day in all of them(time was previously faster in Faerie) and Dark Horses couldn't play in both places. I however, with the help of my ring, could attend them both.
Lucky for us, Darius had formed a band just for fun and I'd walked in on one of their rehearsals. They called themselves Roar and they were pretty good, so we hired them for their first gig. They were amazing and the packed house loved them so much that they were now sharing the roster with Dark Horses, much to Rain's(lead singer for Dark Horses) chagrin. Rain griped, saying that's what he got for doing a faerie a favor and I told him he should have seen it coming. Since Rain is psychic, I thought this was very funny but he failed to see the humor.
Rain's wounded pride was less important to me than Trevor's happiness though and Trevor ended up quite satisfied, so I was too. Trevor had been wanting to have another band for Moonshine anyway. He didn't want people to get bored with just one band playing all the time and he wanted a back-up for unforeseen situations, like faeries stealing his entertainment on New Years Eve. Plus, Darius was unbelievably happy and I liked it when my lions were happy.
Anyway, I'd gone to bed exhausted but pleased to have entered a new year in both the Faerie Realm and the Human Realm without incident. We'd all been through a lot in the months leading up to New Years so it was a huge relief to be able to celebrate without any trouble hanging over our heads. I should have known it was too good to last.
I was dreaming of the new valley I'd created for Trevor, standing on the grassy bank of the lake in the center of it, when suddenly the scenery changed. The sun that had been shining brightly was blocked out by black wings and then the darkness spread until it was fully night. Stars appeared across the night sky as a man descended from it, coming to rest on the bank a little ways down from me.
He walked slowly toward me, giving me ample time to realize that I didn't know who he was. He had black hair cropped close to his head and a slight build that made him appear harmless. He was wearing jeans and a dark shirt, hands stuffed in his pockets casually, and walked with an unassuming saunter. When he finally came to stand before me, I could see that his eyes were black, so dark that I couldn't discern pupil from iris. He was attractive in a teen idol sort of way, glowing youth with the hint of manhood around his jaw, all topped off with a careless look in his eyes, but there was something about him, something in his manner and the tightness in his face, that radiated danger.
Warning, Will Robinson, warning.
“What a lovely place,” he commented in a conversational tone.
“I like it,” I replied lightly, “but then, I built it. I've never seen you here before.”
“It's my first time,” he smiled then and leaned close, like he was going to kiss me.
I backpedaled, having no desire whatsoever to kiss this interloping stranger, but he caught me around the waist and tossed me down onto the grass. Before I could get up, he was over me, his hands at my throat and his eyes fading to corpse gray. I lifted my hands to fight him but roots came up out of the earth and manacled my wrists. He just smiled, smiled as he tried to choke the life out of me.
Fear rushed through my limbs and I knew that this was no ordinary dream. The lack of air was real, my physical body couldn't breathe along with my dream one. Strangulation wasn't one of the ways I could be killed but still, my body needed air and it would shut down to recuperate if it didn't get any. And that was not pleasant.
So I panicked a little.
In my panic I realized that this was my dream he was in and I had control of it. Teharon had once taught me to Spirit Walk and the lessons I'd learned were applicable to dreams. I needed to take control and stop letting this asshole have his way. So I unraveled the roots around my hands and directed them to hold him instead.
His eyes widened, darkening back to their original color as the roots pulled him off me and held him aloft. I got up and strode forward, calling my dragon fire up to rage in my eyes. The roots snaked a
round his neck and tightened just enough to let him know who was in charge.
“Now, who are you and why did you just try to kill me?”
“Impossible,” he said. “Only gods can resist my influence. No human can alter a dream when I'm in control.”
“I am a god,” I cocked my head at him, “and the Godhunter.”
“Godhunter,” he whispered and then frowned. “That's why I thought you were human. You are.”
“I'm also a goddess and a faerie,” I shrugged. “Now answer my question. Who are you?”
“A human, a goddess, and a faerie?” His eyes focused on me. “I've never met someone who was all three. I didn't think it was possible.”
“And you probably won't ever again,” I shrugged. “It was a fluke.”
“Well, pardon the intrusion, Godhunter,” he grinned. “I thought you were much more common fare.”
“So you normally kill regular old humans in their sleep?” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Is this a power source for you?”
“I'll never tell,” he whispered and faded away.
“Son of a bitch!” I sat up in bed, dislodging both Trevor and Kirill as I broke free from the dream.
“What? Where is he?” Trevor sat up and searched our new bedroom on the top floor of Pride Palace. “Who's a bitch?”
“It was just a bad dream,” I sighed and gave his shoulder a pat. “Go back to sleep.”
Morning would be soon enough to tell him our peace was over.
Chapter Two
I was going to tell Trevor and Kirill about the creepy guy in my dream who tried to kill me but there just wasn't enough time. All issues seemed to have taken a backseat to the big whopper of a problem that was taking over my life.
Odin.
Or maybe I should call him Griffin because he sure didn't know he was Odin. I'd brought my lover back from the Void after he died protecting me. I'd gone through hell to do it. Literally, I walked through Hell and asked the Devil for his help. I'd thought things would go back to normal as soon as I got Odin home but now we faced a whole new problem.
Odin had returned with amnesia. He didn't remember who he was, didn't know his friends, and he sure didn't know me. It was a bit heartbreaking to have him back and yet not have him but I was happier with him alive and within reach, than I was with him in the Void. I've learned to appreciate even the small miracles.
So I ended up forgetting all about my nightmare in light of Odin pounding on my door first thing that morning. Trevor had shouted something sleepily, thinking it was one of my Intare come to pester me(Aidan especially liked to annoy us early in the day), but the pounding continued.
Kirill was the one who finally got out of bed to open the door. Like Trevor, Kirill had no shame when it came to his body. What was there to be ashamed of really? He was six-foot-gorgeous, maybe not god-gorgeous but definitely movie star quality. The only soft bits of his anatomy were bits meant to be soft(don't go there) and so he padded to the door completely nude. I admit that woke me up more than the knocking.
Unfortunately, Odin/Griffin didn't appreciate the view as much as I did.
“What the hell is wrong with you, man?” I heard Odin/Griffin say from the door. Okay this is ridiculous, I'm just going to refer to him as Griffin until he remembers that he's Odin.
“You voke us up,” Kirill growled. “Don't knock on man's door before noon and expect him to be clothed.”
“Oh,” Griffin peered over to where Trevor and I were still snuggled under the covers. His face went a little red and he turned around to leave.
“Odin!” I shouted and saw his back tense. “I mean, Griffin, don't go. Give me a second.”
“I'll wait for you downstairs,” he said over his shoulder and left anyway.
“Aw poop,” I huffed and fell back into my pillow.
“He'll come around,” Trevor pulled me into his side and laid a kiss on my temple. “At least he's alive, that's a huge improvement.”
Trevor's skin was warm, he tended to run a little hotter because of the werewolf magic, but now that I was Queen of Fire, I enjoyed the heat. Well, I've always enjoyed it but now I enjoyed it even more. I also enjoyed the feel of firm flesh against my own and he was enjoying it too from all appearances but we needed to get out of bed. I had a feeling that if I kept Griffin waiting, he'd be even more disagreeable.
“Argh,” I groaned and rolled away from Trevor. “We can't right now. I gotta go talk to Odin.”
“You mean Griffin,” Kirill rolled his eyes before helping me out of bed. “He looked angry.”
“Yeah, I wonder why,” I chewed at my lip thoughtfully.
“Maybe because he saw Kirill naked instead of you,” Trevor smirked and threw the covers back, exposing his own magnificent body. I swallowed audibly.
“Uh, I better go take a shower,” I whimpered. “A cold shower. Can you guys go down and tell Griffin I'll be there soon?”
“Sure,” Trevor smirked some more and looked over my own nudity with a possessive stare that had my toes curling.
“Damn amnestic, cock-blocking gods,” I growled and stomped into the bathroom as Trevor and Kirill laughed. “Forgetting me after dying for me. What the hell is that all about? Then having the nerve to ruin morning sex.”
“Waiting will make it better,” Trevor called out as I slammed the door on his grinning face.
Chapter Three
“I am not this Odin person,” I heard Griffin say as I walked into the room.
Then he stopped and stared at me. I froze. My heart was beating loud in my ears and everything got fuzzy around the edges. All I could focus on were his eyes. Those beautiful peacock eyes that were all Odin, despite what Griffin's mouth was saying. The Odin I'd known in this life had only one eye. He'd given the other to Mimir in exchange for a book of soul magic he used to bring me/Sabine back from Hvergelmir, the Viking Well of Souls. Yeah, Odin had brought me back from death first, I was just returning the favor.
Oh, who was I kidding? Bringing him back had nothing to do with obligation and everything to do with love. I could see that love in Odin's eyes, swimming in the deep cerulean, glowing in the vibrant purple, and flashing in the glimmers of green. He loved me still, felt it on some deeper level. He just didn't know it yet.
“Vervain,” Griffin cleared his throat. “Thanks for joining us.”
“Coffee, Tima?” Kirill offered and I nodded, so he went into the kitchen.
“Does he always wait on you like a servant?”
I stopped midway into my seat, so shocked at the malice in Griffin's voice that I was speechless for a few moments. Trevor put his hand on my arm and I looked over into his steadying stare. This wasn't going to be easy, that stare said. Patience. Control. A wolf knew all about hunting. Pull back and let the prey get comfortable. I nodded and smiled a little at him before settling into my chair.
“Kirill doesn't wait on me like a servant,” I finally said. “He does things for me out of love.”
“Seems to be a lot of love in your life already,” Griffin shot a glance at Trevor. “If I am Odin, why bother bringing me back? You obviously don't need me.”
“Why are you so angry?” I was completely baffled. He'd been confused last night when I'd brought him back from the Void but he hadn't been aggravated.
“I don't know,” he suddenly deflated. “I've got all these emotions rushing around inside me and I have no idea what they mean.”
“Okay,” I nodded. “I'm not going to try and tell you how to deal with those feelings but at least I know why you're upset now. Maybe we can help you work through it.”
“Help me?” Griffin shook his head. “I don't even know who I am.”
Kirill came back in and made the long trek from the kitchen door to where we we sitting in the middle of the dining table, across from the fireplace. Our new dining hall was huge, big enough that all of the Intare and Froekn could dine together inside it. I'd made sure of that when I'd used my magic to transform it recently. The only do
wnside was that it took a little longer to get coffee now.
“You're Odin,” I said as Kirill put a tray on the table between us. He took a seat on my right and I smiled a quick thanks at him before looking across the table at Griffin once more. “The Oathbreaker, Ruler of Asgard, Father to Thor, Balder, Vidar, and Vali; and my husband from another life.”
“I don't remember any of that,” he said as he accepted the coffee Kirill offered him.
“I know,” I nodded, “and it's okay. I don't want you to feel pressured into being anything. We'll just take it slowly, give you a little more information each day and let you process it. Hopefully you'll remember who you are soon but if not,” I reached across the table and touched his hand. He jerked as if I'd electrocuted him and pulled away. I took my hand back and sighed. “If not, it's okay, there's no rush.”
“I do have some memories,” he confessed.
“Yes?” I prompted eagerly.
“They're jumbled,” he frowned, looking down into his coffee cup. “I remember your face but there's fear attached to the memory. I remember a lot of fear and pain.”
“It's the body you're in,” I sighed and exchanged glances with Trevor and Kirill. “Horrible things were done to Griffin. A goddess abducted him and... tortured him.”
“Tortured?” His eyes went wide.
“She's dead now,” I reassured him. “I killed her myself. In fact, one of the reasons I killed her was because she killed Odin.”
“She tortured me and killed Odin?”
“She killed you and tortured the body you now inhabit,” I corrected gently. “No,” I waved a hand at him when he started to protest. “I'll go along with calling you Griffin for now but if you're going to make any progress at all, you need to hear who you really are. So even if you disagree, please don't correct me.”
“Alright,” he sighed and leaned over his coffee cup, folding his hands together above it. It was such an Odin gesture, I had to glance away and compose myself. “So you say I'm a god, how about you start by telling me about that. What does it mean?”